


Strangeness and Charm

by flamingofics



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Awkward Romance, Bonding, Bugs & Insects, F/M, Fluff, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Shyness, Sleepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-09 22:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13491318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamingofics/pseuds/flamingofics
Summary: “Charm is a product of the unexpected.” –José Martí (1853-1895)A small collection of LonMiri drabbles.





	1. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lon’qu tries his hand at flattery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for the prompt, “Lon’qu sees a lot of the guys flirt with their lovers and decides to try it with Miriel, but ends up getting flustered as hell when he finally does.”

“I beg your pardon?” Miriel pulled her attention away from her book as she asked, looking up to find her fiancé standing quite close to her. Upon her inquiry, Lon’qu abruptly stepped back, his cheeks already beginning to redden.

“I…” he began, looking anywhere but at her. “Er, that is…” The hand that had immediately retreated to scratch self-consciously at the back of his head moved forward to cover his face. “I didn’t… Sorry. If that was too untoward. I only… Ah, _gods…_ ” Lon’qu’s voice lowered, his stammering reduced to a continuous string of unintelligible mumbling.

Miriel stared, unsure as to exactly what had driven the man to his nerve-racked state so quickly. “Lon’qu?”

He turned away from her. “…Nothing! It’s fine! I-I’ll… ah…” Miriel considered herself no expert on the observation and interpretation of human body language, but she did not have to be in order to see that Lon’qu was very close to bolting. Setting her book aside, she stood up and stepped toward him, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. He tensed only briefly.

“Lon’qu.” She waited until he slowly turned to look at her, the hand on his flushed face lowering slightly. “I did not hear your initial statement as I was engrossed in my reading. I apologize. What did you say?”

Lon’qu broke eye contact with her, though he seemed to relax just slightly. He took two slow, deep breaths before he once again stepped into Miriel’s space. Still not looking at her, he took Miriel’s hand from his arm and into his, palming it carefully. It was trembling beneath her fingers.

“I said…” Lon’qu began softly, clearly struggling to keep his voice from wavering, and Miriel had to strain to hear him. “You look… lovelier than ever, Miriel.” In one smooth motion he raised Miriel’s hand to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles, then slid his hand away and stepped back. After a brief moment Lon’qu suddenly turned and stormed off, the blush on his face having renewed tenfold, completely missing the somewhat subdued “thank you” Miriel murmured as she brought her hand up to rest on one of her equally flushed cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to actively mod a [LonMiri tumblr blog](http://fuckyeahlonmiri.tumblr.com). I occasionally received anonymous asks which I took as writing prompts and created little drabbles from them. I’ll post them here as I continue to dig them up.
> 
> (I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t really touched said blog in years, but I just haven’t had the proper time to dedicate to it for a while now, or the same level of interest in it as I used to for that matter. Maybe one day I’ll start tending to it again. We’ll see!)


	2. A Unique Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lon’qu and Miriel exchange thoughts concerning a somewhat peculiar topic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for the prompt, “Lon’qu may not understand everything Miriel says, but when it comes to bugs, he talks to her on near equal footing. She appreciates it when he keeps up with her on any topic, even if it’s insects.”

“I see,” Miriel said, tapping her chin lightly with the end of her quill. “In that case, what physical attributes of this particular scarab do you equate to those of an armored foot soldier?”

Lon’qu paused just long enough to wrap his head around his wife’s choice of words before he carefully rotated his hand to give Miriel a better view of the beetle’s profile.

“Look at his body here,” he said, tilting the insect to better catch the light of the campfire. “See how it’s made up of small plates? Now try and look in between them if you can. The areas there are much softer, but they allow for better movement.”

“A natural bodily suture,” Miriel marveled softly, her hands automatically reaching beside her for her tome. “Such an anatomy is not at all unlike the make-up and functionality of the armor of Ylissean knights, designed to provide an impenetrable defense while also maintaining flexibility. How fascinating.” Within seconds she was scribbling down notes rather quickly on a fresh page.

Lon’qu snorted lightly at Miriel’s actions. “Are you really so easily captivated by such a thing?”

“Not easily so, Lon’qu,” Miriel answered, never once missing a stroke as she continued to write. “To discover such pristine uniformity within nature is truly a wonder in itself. I find it immensely curious how the general quality of such a practical, yet complex, design – one most chiefly utilized by humans, at that – managed to manifest itself within the natural essence of such an infinitesimal creature.”

Lon’qu shut his eyes. Most of what Miriel said had catapulted clear over his head, though as he thought for a minute to himself, he supposed he understood at least the basics of her viewpoint.

And oddly enough, he found he disagreed with it.

“You might have it backwards.”

The sound of quill scribbling against parchment abruptly stopped. Lon’qu opened his eyes to find Miriel staring at him, her head cocked just slightly to the side.

“Elaborate,” she said evenly. After a beat, she added an equally even, “Please.”

The corner of Lon’qu’s mouth involuntarily twitched upward. He glanced down at the beetle he was holding, watching as it lazily walked over his hands.

“Small as they may be,” he began, “many insects – both like and unlike this one here – have managed to adapt themselves into warriors in their own right. They are able to fight for their survival when needed and defend themselves successfully when in danger. Such creatures have always done so naturally and without any thought to it, while it took humanity a number of centuries to develop any kind of means to do anything similar. I think it’s more interesting to think about how the concepts of working armor and weaponry managed to find their way into _our_ way of life, considering the practice came into existence long before any of us implemented it – even if it was among such seemingly unimportant creatures.”

The silence that stretched through the air following his spiel caused Lon’qu to carefully glance over at his wife. She was still staring at him, though there was now a softness in her gaze that Lon’qu had begun to recognize not long after they had become engaged. He felt heat begin to rise in his face that had nothing to do with his proximity to the campfire, and he glanced away.

“A unique perspective,” Miriel said softly. She made no move to write anything further in her tome. “And a fascinating one at that.” Lon’qu didn’t quite know what to say in response, so he remained silent. After another brief moment, Miriel reached a hand out, her palm facing down. Assuming she wanted to touch the beetle, Lon’qu held it out towards her.

“Careful,” he warned. “This kind doesn’t bite or pinch, but he might hiss a bit if spooked.”

Rather than with the beetle, Miriel’s hand came into contact with his own – the backs of her fingers came to rest underneath his, allowing the beetle to cross from Lon’qu’s hand to hers.

“Perhaps these creatures do indeed merit further study,” Miriel said, watching the beetle crawl up her arm and settle comfortably above her wrist. With only the barest of awkwardness, Miriel meshed her fingers into her husband’s, squeezing gently. “Would you be willing to aid me in such an endeavor?”

This time Lon’qu held her gaze steadily, unable to completely suppress the small swell of satisfaction in his chest as he took in the undisguised delight within his wife’s eyes. He unconsciously stroked the knuckles of her hand with his thumb.

“Of course.”


	3. A Brief Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alone in the barracks, Lon’qu and Miriel share an intimate moment together (for them, in any case).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for the prompt, “Miriel trying to talk to a sleepy Lon’qu but gets surprised by how much cuter he gets.”

The short bark of laughter she received following her query came as a surprise to Miriel. Suddenly jolted out of her previous mindset, she looked up at her husband, seated beside her at the barracks table with his head propped up against his hand.

“That’s just like you, Miriel,” he said, a small smile on his lips.

Miriel blinked, unsure what to think. Like herself, Lon’qu was generally quite reserved and was not one for much overt emotional expression. Of course, such displays between themselves were not exactly uncommon, but the surrounding context of the given situation was often intelligible. Why, now, had her husband responded so in answer to a simple question?

Settling back in her chair, Miriel eyed the man more closely. He appeared rather relaxed, his posture not at all like the usual rigid stances he typically kept himself in. He was still smiling lightly, seemingly unperturbed by his wife’s scrutiny. As she observed the sluggish nature of his eyelids, Miriel considered the hour. Was the man’s behavior being influenced by the lateness of the day?

Her previous train of thought long forgotten, Miriel rose from her seat, intending to return the book she had been reading to the shelf (and perhaps even briefly return to her quarters to fetch her tome and quill). She had only taken two steps when a strong arm looped around her waist, stopping her where she stood.

“Where’re you going?” Lon’qu asked, his words slurring together only slightly. His grip on her was firm, but not so much that she could not pull away if she wished to.

“I am returning this book to its shelf,” Miriel answered, watching as Lon’qu’s smile widened just a degree. With his free hand he gently pried the book from her and placed it back on the table.

“It can wait,” he said, his tone low and yet oddly insistent. “Sit.”

Miriel’s eyebrow lifted as she took in the man before her, pondering his words. This time, her inspection seemed to slightly unhinge him, though only for a brief moment. Lon’qu shifted in his seat and nodded his head vaguely into the space in front of him.

“Sit?” This time the word was soft and somewhat hesitant.

After a moment Miriel understood what Lon’qu was asking, and she felt her heart flutter. Though they were wed, they did not often engage in many intimate activities. The fact that Lon’qu wished to do so now, and so openly in his current state, was admittedly – Miriel had to search among her more colloquial vocabulary for the correct term – “sweet.”

She made a mental note to seek out her tome during her next convenient moment, then allowed herself to be maneuvered sideways and onto her husband’s lap. As Miriel settled, Lon’qu’s arms wound securely around her and his head lowered to settle on her shoulder. He sighed deeply, and Miriel could feel tendrils of heat creeping out from her chest and throughout the rest of her body. Though Lon’qu’s touch was not foreign, she did not indulge herself in it frequently, and in each new instance of experiencing it she found herself reacting much the same: somewhat cautious and admittedly shy. It was oddly curious.

“…This all right?” Lon’qu whispered. “Your heart’s racing.”

Her heart rate was indeed elevated due to their proximity, and she realized she was sitting rather stiffly considering the situation. She chose not to provide an audible answer, opting instead to simply relax her frame and settle her arms over Lon’qu’s shoulders. He seemed satisfied with her response, letting one of his hands travel up her back and rub between her shoulder blades. Miriel’s nerves tingled pleasantly under the stimulation, and she found herself desiring to reciprocate the welcomed gesture of affection.

Experimentally, Miriel carded her fingers through her husband’s hair, letting her nails rake lightly along his scalp. The effect was almost immediate: Lon’qu groaned into her shoulder, his voice reverberating into her sensitive skin even through the fabric of her tunic. Caught off guard at the sensation, Miriel could not hold in the soft, tittering gasp of involuntary laughter that bubbled up from within her throat.

Lon’qu chuckled deeply against her. “Love your laugh,” he murmured, shifting to press his mouth to Miriel’s neck. “So pretty.” She squirmed halfheartedly in his grasp as he continued his ministrations, her face aflame with heat.

“D-desist! Please!” she managed to exclaim amid the reflexive noises she was emitting. She could feel Lon’qu smiling against her skin, and she could feel it in her cheeks that her own lips were curled up similarly.

Gradually the pair stilled and silenced. Lon’qu returned his head to his wife’s shoulder, now content to simply hold her, while Miriel rested comfortably against him, periodically threading her fingers through the hair at the base of her husband’s skull. After a long moment she felt him go still against her, his hold on her suddenly limp. A soft snore rose from Miriel’s shoulder, and she sighed in light exasperation.

“Lon’qu?” When he did not rouse, she grabbed hold of his shoulders and gently shook. “Lon’qu.”

His head pulled back suddenly from her. Not quite fully awake, he blinked wearily at her, his eyes somewhat glazed over. Miriel did not try to hold back the smile that formed on her face.

She carefully touched a hand to his cheek. “Shall we retire to bed?”

Lon’qu let his head lull against her hand, his eyes struggling to stay leveled on hers. “Mm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to this ask I’ve now got it in my head that Lon’qu is much like Mori (OHSHC) when he’s tired, at least when he’s around someone he’s comfortable with. ~~…Which works out pretty well seeing as how both characters have the same English voice actor. AAAAAY~~~


End file.
